Walsall – Banks’s Stadium (Bescot Stadium)
Jump to: Hotels – Pubs – Parking – Directions – Fan’s comments
The Banks’s Stadium, still popularly known locally as the Bescot Stadium, is an all-seater venue, with a capacity of 11,300. It is the home ground of Walsall FC.
It was built in 1989 and opened in 1990 by Sir Stanley Matthews, replacing the club’s previous ground, Fellows Park, which was located a quarter of a mile away.
The Gilbert Alsop Stand was replaced by the new Floors- 2-Go Purple Stand in 2003. This large, two-tiered stand dominates the ground. At the opposite end is the Homeserve stand, which is allocated to away supporters. This is only about 15 rows high, topped by a small electronic scoreboard and a small TV gantry.
The stands at the sides of the ground are similar, with floodlights on their roofs and numerous supporting pillars. The club have been granted planning permission to re-develop the Homeserve end of the ground, incorporating a new stand similar to the Floors-2-Go Stand, raising the overall stadium capacity to 13,500.
How to get to the Banks’s Stadium
By Road:
The Banks’s Stadium is located in Bescot Crescent, Walsall WS1 4SA.
From the North, drivers should follow the M6 as far as junction 9, taking the A461 towards Walsall. Bear right onto Wallowes Lane (A4148) and turn right at the 2nd set of lights. The ground is on the left.
Drivers arriving from the South should exit the M6 at junction 7 and follow the A34 towards Walsall, being wary of the speed cameras on the dual carriageway. At the end of the dual carriageway, turn left at the Bell Inn pub into Walstead Road. After about 2 miles, the entrance to the away end of the ground is on the right.
View Larger Map
By Rail:
The Banks’s Stadium has its own station (Bescot) situated behind the away end and just a short walk from the turnstiles. This station has regular services to and from Birmingham New Street, with a journey time of about 20 minutes. Click here to check the current train timetables
By Air:
The nearest airport is Birmingham, at a distance of 13 miles. It has regular rail connections to Birmingham New Street station. Click here to check the current flight times
Taxis
There are several taxi companies in Walsall that can take you to and from the Bescot. You can always prebook a private hire taxi, or hail a black cab on any highway.
Calling all Walsall Taxi Companies – Why not advertise your company here?.
Where to Park?
The club has a large car park behind the away stand and reasonably priced parking is available at Bescot railway station. There is limited on-street parking in the side streets off Wallowes Lane, but visitors should resist the temptation of parking is the supermarket car park as several fans report having had their vehicles clamped.
Away Friendly Pubs near the Banks’s Stadium
The Fulbrook pub, near the ground, is very partisan and visitors have marked it as one to avoid. The King George V, in Wallowes Lane has been recommended by several away fans. It is a 15-minute walk from the stadium, but becomes extremely busy on match days. The Saddlers Club, at the stadium, admits limited numbers of away fans for a small charge, but this also becomes busy and early arrival is essential.
Hotels near the Banks’s Stadium
The Holiday Inn Express Walsall M6 J10, Tempus Ten, Tempus Drive, Walsall WS2 8TJ is located near the M6 motorway, less than a mile from Walsall town centre. Its air-conditioned rooms are modern and spacious, with Internet access and rates include a continental breakfast. The hotel bar is open 24 hours to residents. Guest reviews have noted excellent service and the hotel is quiet, despite its proximity to the motorway. 
The Compass Hotel Walsall, 20 Wolverhampton Road West, Bentley, Walsall WS2 0BS is on the outskirts of Walsall, near junction 10 of the M6. This modern hotel features modern lounge bar and restaurant areas, and has good leisure facilities including an indoor swimming pool, sauna and fitness centre. Free on-site parking is available.
Click here to see all hotels near the Bescot Stadium
What have other Away Fans said about their trip?
Many visiting fans have been disappointed by the Banks’s Stadium, both in terms of looks and the facilities available inside the ground. The away section is reportedly cramped and the view of play impeded by the supporting pillars at the front. The catering facilities comprise food kiosks in the corners of the stand and their proximity to the toilets creates “traffic” problems, especially at half-time.
On the plus side, the covered stand allows even a small number of away fans to generate enough noise to create a vibrant atmosphere. Additionally, though obtaining food takes a long time, its quality is reportedly excellent. Overall, the majority of away fans report that any disappointment is countered by the relaxed atmosphere in and around the ground, with friendly home supporters and helpful stewards.
Poor facilities inside the ground and no atmosphere form the home fans due to the very small amount of them, ground doesn’t look too bad on the other hand though compared to some!
I have been Walsall a number of times and i sill think that its one of the ungliest grounds i have seen. Its massive stand behind the net in the home end makes it look abnormal. maybe if they cut it down to size or even make the rest same height then it would look better.
•Good pubs nearby that are suitable for away fans… Not much around the stadium really we just went into the club house which offered some nice beer.
•Any roadworks, traffic hotspots or other problems to avoid… It was fairly easy to get to straight forward off the motorway, if your going south you always past the bestcot.
•Good Parking spots… There is big ASDA near the ground which we always park at.
•Decent/Cheap Hotels nearby … Its only a 45 minutes – 1 hour drive away so never stayed over.
•Nightlife, other tourist attractions etc nearby… You would have to travel a fair bit out to find some life of any form !
•What is the atmosphere/beer/food/legroom like in the ground?… I have always found the Walsall fans to be extremely quite or it might be the oldham fans just making alot of noise. The beer taste like toliet water to be honest but the food is one of the best i have had at a football ground. Legroom? No such thing at the bescot im 6ft and struggled with leg room.
A month or two I went to this stadium for the pre-season friendly between Walsall and Aston Villa, I don’t usually go to the pub before a friendly so I won’t touch on that topic.
Parking is limited but if you get there early you should be OK.
The Villa fans were 3/1 against the Walsall fans, I’ve got nothing against them, but if they want there team to do better, they need to improve there noise level, I never heard them sing 1 song, and all you could hear was the Villa fans.
Legroom? Non-existent, people were walking along the row, and I got knocked into the row behind me, some poor woman who was behind me almost fell over as well.
The food is very good, I highly recommend the hot-dogs they sell, they are fresh and hot, and a lot better than Villa’s!
Overall, a small team but a good ground to visit.